The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-07-27
SCIENTIFIC AND 1NpusrRIAL.

A complete systematic botanical sur
/ vey Of India is TO be made. The coun-
try is to be divided into four great dis
tricts, in each of which the work has
been placed in charge of botanist ia
miliar with the region.
The London Geological Society re-
ports that at the close Of 1886 it had in
its collection total of 1900 animals, of
which IN were mammals, 1 1,429 birds,
and 403 reptiles. Many Of the animals
have been bred in the society's gardens.
Two skeletons dug up several months
ago in cave near the Ornea, in Belgium,
appear to belong to the oldest race of
which any distinct record exists. These
prehistoric individuals were contempo-
rary with the mammoth, and inhabited
the country before the great ice age
They were short and thick-set, with
broad shoulders, supporting a long and
narrow head, with an EXTREMITY low fore
head.
A new use for the tobacco plant has
been discovered. Its stems and waste it
is claimed, are equal TO linen rags in the
manufacture of paper. Tobacco waste
costs less than SO a ton, linen rags eli.
There is no expense in asserting the
former and very little shrinkagc, as
against loss of one third of rags. The
yearly tobacco waste is estimated in the
census reports at from 1000, 900 to 4,
900, 900 pounds.
We read in the Apotheker Zeitung that
the idea that sea air contains salt has
obtained widespread credence. Schelenz
has Investigated the matter. He allowed
1000 liters sea air, at variable distances
from the shore and different heights
above the level of the tide. to pass
| through solution of nitrate of silver.
Not trace of salt was found. However,
it was found that sea air was remarkably
, free from organic matter.
Naphtha, which is burned in locomo.
tives in the Caucasus, yields ninety pei
cent. of its theoretic heating power,
while not more than sixty per cent. can
be realized from solid fuel. Petroleum
is now the sole combustible of ships in
the Caspian sea, and only half as much is
required as was formerly used of coal
! The maximum force obtainable from coal
is said TO be only two-fifths of that which
petroleum may furnish, and the railway
experiments have shown that u giver
weight of naphtha will take the place Of
eight and half times the weight ot
wood, although the theoretical difference
is only as three to one.
In spite of repeated failures efforts ar,
still being made to use petroleum as
fuel for making steam. A company has
been formed in New York State, with
capital of SO, 600, 900, for accomplishin.
this result by means of an invention con
sisting of an apparatus for the produc
ton of fix gas from the union of de
composed oil and water. 1t is claimed
that it can be applied to boilers of an!
kind, and the flame which it produces il
intense, steady, and easily controlled.
Mr.. Edison, so prolific in invention, has
been experimenting on a method of sig
mailing between vessels at sea. In thi
system long and short explosive sounds
are made under water, and by proper
combinations, similar to the ordinary tel
egraphic alphabet, words and sentenc,
are built up. By this plan communica
tion has been successfully established be
tween ships three and four miles apart
and it is expected when the apparatus fol
making these sounds and receiving then
is perfected that much greater distance
can be covered.